Optical signal device



. points located in both near and far relation Y Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE svEN atroos'r ESKILVSON, or STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, assrenon. 'ro mnmcm GAS- ACGUMULATOB company, or ELIZABETH/NEW ERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY OPTICAL SIGNAL DEVICE Application filed March 3, 1928. Serial No. 258,811.

, My invention relates to optical signal de- Without attemptin to set forth in further vices of the character employed in lightdetail the objects an I houses, upon floating buoys and the like. It. vention I shall now proceed to a detailed deis more particularly designed and adapted scription thereof wherein other objects and ,5 for use in association with alight mounted advantages will be specifically set forth or upon a floating buoy which may be located will become apparent. upon the waters of rivers, lakes, the ocean, In order that the invention may be readily branches of the latter and the like. understood and its manifold practical advan-v 7 It has been found that when floating buoys tages fully appreciated reference may be had 10 were provided with dioptric lights of the to the accompanying drawing wherein I have construction heretofore known it frequently illustrated one form of construction embodywould happen that persons located upon the ing the said invention and the principle inbridge of a vessel approaching and being in volved therein. positions relatively near the said buoy would It will be understood that the invention is be above and out of line with the rays of susceptible of embodiment in other forms of light emanating from the source of light and construction than that illustrated herein, and therefore would be unable to observe the that various changes may be made in the delight; and it also has been found that pertails of construction within the scope of the sons located near the surface of the water claims without departing from the said invenand in positions relatively near the light tion.

would be unable to observe or see the same, In the drawing I have shown a view in because of their location below and out of vertical section of a portion of a device eniline with the rays of light emanating from bodying'the invention, the said view being the source. 7 taken in a plane extending radially from the It is desirable, in the case of a device of axis of the structure, the said plane includthis character, that it be visible from points ing the focal point of the lenses of the device. both in near and far relation with respect I have shown in the drawing only fragmenthereto, regardless of the positions of said tary portions of the frame structure of the points. device, which portions are indicated at 1 and The general object, therefore, of the inven- 2. The device embodying the invention is tion is to provide an optical device of novel encircled or inclosed, as usual, by a trans and improved construction including ineans parent circular sheet 3, preferably of glass, whereby it is rendered visible by rays of light which is mounted upon the portions of the emanating from the light source thereof from frameistructure indicated at 1 and 2.

.The device comprises an intermediate circular lens 4, of lano-convex shape in cross with respect thereto.

It also is an object of the invention to provide an optical device including novel means of relatively great efiiciency and simplicity for rendering the same visible or observable from points located in both near and far relation with respect thereto.

A further object of the invention is to prostruction and located in the same relation to other lenses of the structure as heretofore 'has been the case in dioptric lights of the general character of that disclosed; and also comprises lenses 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the usual or standard construction, the outer surfaces vide an optical signal device including bothof which are convex and the other surfaces of which are plane, as is clearly indicated in the drawing. The said lenses 5, 6, 7 and 8 are circular or extend around and in concentric relation to the axis of the system or device as also does the lens 4. All of the'le'ns'es, 4: and 5 to 8 inclusive, consist of transparent light condensing and light dispersing means in combination to afford means whereby rays of light emanating from the source of light may render the same visible or observable from points located in near as well as far relation thereto.

section, the said lens being of known conadvantages of my inthe'usual character found in adjoining relation to the opposite edges of the central lens 4 I have provided lenses or prisms 9 and 10, which are of diiferent shape in cross-section from the condensing lenses 5, 6, 7 and 8 and constitute light, deflecting and dispersing means. The lenses or .prisms9 and 10 may consist of any suitable transparent material which is light refracting, but preferably consist of glass. The said lenses or prisms 9 and 10 extend around and are concentric with the axis of the device. The outer surfaces of the said lenses or prisms 9 and 10 are substantially plane, as indicated in' the draw- In the construction, as illustrated, I have provided 1i ht deflecting and dispersing means in ad joining relation to both of the edges of the lens 4, but I desire it to be understood that only one of these light dispersing elements may be employed, in which event the other, or opposite element, would or may be replaced by a standard lens element like those indicated or designated by the reference numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8. However, I have illustrated in the drawing the preferred arrangement in which two dispersing elements are employed, one in adjoining relation to each of the edges of the lens 4 as shown.

The light which is indicated at 11 usually consists of a gas flame, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to a light source of any particular or especial character. The rays of light emitted from the source 11 may emanate or radiate frond any point thereof, as indicated by the dash and dot lines a, b, 0, d, e, f, g, h and i. The rays of light which emanate from the source 11 and which pass through the lenses 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are condensed in known manner. Those rays which emanate from a point coincidental with the focal center of the said lenses, after passage through the said lenses and because of their refraction, are parallel to each other, as indicated by the dash and dot lines (13, e and f. 1

I have not indicated the direction taken by the refracted rays which issue from the lenses 5, 6 and 7, but it will be understood that they take the same diregtion as in the I known constructions of this character which are in use generally.

The directions taken by the rays oflight which pass through the light deflecting and dispersing elements 9 and 10, after refraction, are indicated by the dash and dot lines a, g b and h.

It will be noted that the refracted rays a and g extend in a downward direction so that a person located near the water and in a relatively near position with respect to the device would be able to observe or see the same, whereas the refracted rays b and 72.

extend in diverging relation to-each other in an'upward direction so that a person located in an elevated position, as upon the bridge of a vessel, and relatively near the device would be able to observe or see the standard lens elements of dioptric light structures. By the employment of light deflecting elements,'as in my construction, I am able to obtain the desired lighting or signaling effect with the secrifice of a relatively small percentage only of the condensing lens portion of the structure. understood that the light deflecting elements may be located in different positions with respect to the intermediately located lens 4 from those in which they are shown in the drawing. 9

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an optical signal device, the combination of a condensin lens, a light deflecting element located in contiguous relation to an edge of the said lens, one or more condensing lenses located in adjoining relation to the outer edge of the said light deflecting element and a source of light located to include the focal center of the said lenses, the rays of light from said source which pass through the said light deflecting element being refracted and issuing therefrom in directions extending transversely of and across a horizontal plane including the focus of-the said lens.

2. In an optical signal device of drum type, the combination of an intermediate light condensing lens, light deflecting elements consisting of prisms of transparent light retracting material located with their bases in adjoining relation to the opposite edgesof the said condensing lens, condensing lenses located outside of and in adjoining relation to the apexesof the said prisms, and a source of light located practically at the focal center of the said lenses, the rays of light from said source which pass through the said light-deflecting elements being refracted and issuing therefrom in directions extending transversely of and across a horiiaontal plane including the focus of the said ens.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 10th day of February, A. D. 1928.

SVEN AUGUST ESKILSON.

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